Object management

ABSTRACT

Techniques are provided for object management. In certain implementations, object management includes determining whether a signal representing the presence of at least one object to be monitored has been received and determining whether a signal representing the state of at least one object to be monitored has been received. If a signal representing the presence of at least one object to be monitored has been received, a determination is made as to whether a predetermined quantity of objects is present. If a signal representing the state of at least one object to be monitored has been received, a determination is made as to whether at least one object has a predetermined state.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 10/802,038, entitled “Document Management” and filed on Mar.17, 2004.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This description relates to object management, and more particularly, tosystems and methods for object management.

BACKGROUND

Goods are continuing to be shipped longer distances as economies andmarketplaces continue to expand at national, international, and globallevels. As goods are shipped longer distances, they are typicallyhandled by more carriers, whether with the same company or withdifferent companies. This provides increased opportunities for goods tobe accidentally and/or surreptitiously lost and/or damaged.Additionally, it becomes more difficult to determine when the lossand/or damage occurred and who is at fault.

Various methodologies have been developed to assist in shipping goods.For example, position tracking sensors (e.g., Global Positioning System(GPS) sensors) are often attached to containers so that the location ofgoods may be determined and tracked. This assists in verifying thecarriers who handled a container of goods, and possibly the goodsthemselves. However, it often does little to assist in understandingwhen goods in a container were lost and/or damaged, how the loss and/ordamage occurred, and/or who is at fault.

SUMMARY

Techniques are provided for object management. In one general aspect,object management includes a method performed at an object monitoringsystem. The method may include determining whether a signal representinga presence of at least one object to be monitored has been received anddetermining whether a signal representing a state of at least one objectto be monitored has been received. The method may also includedetermining, if a signal representing a presence of at least one objectto be monitored has been received, whether a predetermined quantity ofobjects is present and determining, if a signal representing a state ofat least one object to be monitored has been received, whether at leastone object has a predetermined state. The predetermined quantity ofobjects and the predetermined object state may be expressed as rules.The method may be performed by a collection of electronic, optical,and/or other appropriate components, a machine-readable medium storinginstructions operable to cause one or more machines to performoperations, and/or any other appropriate apparatus. An object monitoringsystem may include an object coupling device.

In particular implementations, the method may include sensing a presenceof at least one object to be monitored and sensing a state of at leastone object to be monitored. Sensing a presence of at least one object tobe monitored may include receiving a response from at least one radiofrequency identification transponder. Sensing a state of at least oneobject to be monitored may include detecting an environmental condition(e.g., temperature) in the vicinity of at least one object and/ordetecting a location of an object.

Determining whether at least one object has a predetermined state mayinclude determining relative positions of objects. Also, determiningwhether at least one object has a predetermined state may includedetermining an environmental condition in a vicinity of at least oneobject.

Certain implementations may include determining whether monitoringshould continue. Monitoring may, for example, be discontinued if apredetermined period of time expires.

Some implementations may include determining the predetermined quantityof objects and the predetermined object state by sensing a presence ofat least one object to be monitored and sensing a state of at least oneobject to be monitored. Particular implementations may includedetermining whether a signal indicating the predetermined object statehas been received and, if the signal has been received, determining thepredetermined object state based on the signal.

Certain implementations may include wirelessly communicating data.Sending data may include authenticating a destination before sendingdata thereto. Sent data may include the quantity of objects present andthe state of at least one object. Also, sent data may include an alertindicating that at least one monitored object does not have apredetermined status. Received data may include an allowable objectstatus. Additionally, sent data may include an object status request,and received data may include an indication of a quantity of objectssensed by a second object monitoring system.

Certain implementations may include a second object monitoring system.The second object monitoring system may receive an object statusrequest, sense a presence of at least one object to be monitored,determine whether a predetermined quantity of objects is present, andsend object status.

In another general aspect, a system for object management includes anobject monitoring system. The object monitoring system may include afirst sensor system, a second sensor system, a computer, and a wirelesscommunication device. The first sensor system is operable to sense apresence of at least one object to be monitored and to generate a signalrepresentative thereof The second sensor system is operable to sense astate of at least one object to be monitored and to generate a signalrepresentative thereof. The second sensor system may, for example,detect an environmental condition in a vicinity of at least one object.The computer is coupled to the first sensor system and the second sensorsystem, and is operable to determine whether a signal representing apresence of at least one object to be monitored has been received and,if a signal representing a presence of at least one object to bemonitored has been received, determine whether a predetermined quantityof objects is present. The predetermined quantity of objects may beexpressed as a rule. The computer is also operable to determine whethera signal representing a state of at least one object to be monitored hasbeen received and, if a signal representing a state of at least oneobject to be monitored has been received, determine whether at least oneobject has a predetermined state. The predetermined object state may beexpressed as a rule. The wireless communication device is coupled to thecomputer, and is operable to send data from and receive data for thecomputer. Received data may include the predetermined object state, andsent data may include an alert indicating that at least one monitoredobject does not have a predetermined status. The object monitoringsystem may include an object coupling device.

The computer may determine the predetermined quantity of objects and thepredetermined object state based on signals from the sensor systems.Also, the computer may authenticate a destination before sending datathereto.

The object management system may include a second object monitoringsystem. The second object monitoring system may include a sensor systemoperable to sense the presence of at least one object to be monitoredand to generate a signal representative thereof and a computer coupledto the sensor system. The computer may be operable to determine whethera predetermined quantity of objects is present. The second objectmonitoring system may also include a wireless communication devicecoupled to the computer. The second object monitoring system may beoperable to send data from and receive data for the computer. Thereceived data may include an object status request and the sent data mayinclude object status.

Various implementations may have one or more features. For example, byallowing the definition of a group of objects that are to remaintogether and monitoring their presence, it can be proved that allobjects of a unit have remained together, and, hence, the integrity ofthe unit may be authenticated, as well as one of more objects. Theability to validate the authenticity of the objects may be used bytransporters to prove that the appropriate objects have been delivered.As another example, by allowing the definition of allowable states forthe objects and monitoring the states, the integrity of the objects maybe validated. Being able to validate the integrity of the objects may beused by transporters to prove that objects have been delivered in anappropriate condition. Additionally, being able to validate theauthenticity and/or the integrity of the unit and/or the objects may beused by shippers to prove compliance with contractual requirements.

The details of one or more implementations are set forth in theaccompanying drawings and the description below. Other features will beapparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a system for object management.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating one example of an objectmonitoring system for use with the system in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a process for object management.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a process for object management.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating another object management system.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating another object monitoring system.

FIGS. 7A–C illustrate an example of the object monitoring system in FIG.6.

Like reference symbols in the various drawings indicate like elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Object management includes monitoring objects to verify theirauthenticity and/or integrity. In particular implementations, objectmanagement includes monitoring the presence of objects in a containerand at least one state of the objects. If one of the objects leaves thecontainer or enters into an undesired state, an alert is generated.Thus, the container's recipient can determine the authenticity andintegrity of the objects. Object management may, however, also beaccomplished by a variety of other techniques.

FIG. 1 illustrates one example of a system 100 for managing objects 110(shown as objects 110 a–110 f). System 100 may be particularly usefulfor managing objects 110 as they are transported. To assist in managingobjects 110, system 100 includes a container 120 and an objectmonitoring system 130. Container 120 groups and protects objects 110,and object monitoring system 130 monitors the status of the objects. Thestatus of the objects includes the presence of the objects in container120 and at least one state of at least one object. The status may bemonitored autonomously by object monitoring system 130. When objects 110arrive at their destination, or at any other appropriate point in thetransportation process, such as, for example, a checkpoint, objectmonitoring system 130 provides the status of the objects, and possibly ahistory of the objects' status.

In more detail, objects 110 may be any appropriate physical items. Asillustrated, objects 110 are containers for holding liquids. In otherimplementations, however, the objects may hold any other appropriatesubstance. Additionally, the objects need not be containers forsubstances. The objects may, for example, be raw and/or finishedmaterials or devices. Objects 110 may be made of metal, plastic, wood,composite, and/or any other appropriate material. Furthermore, objects110 may be of any appropriate size and shape, as long as they fit withincontainer 120.

Container 120 includes a base 122 and a cover 126. Base 122 includescompartments 124 for objects 110. Compartments 124 may includeappropriate mechanisms for securing objects 110 therein. Cover 126 ismovably coupled to base 122 to allow objects to be inserted into andremoved from compartments 124. As illustrated, cover 126 is in theopened position. When cover 126 is in the closed position, objects 110are enclosed in container 120. Container 120 may be of any appropriatesize and shape. Furthermore, container 120 may be made of metal,plastic, wood, composite, and/or any other appropriate material.

Object monitoring system 130 is coupled to cover 126 and is responsiblefor monitoring the status of objects 110. For this implementation, thestatus of the objects includes their presence in the container and atleast one state of at least one object.

To monitor the presence of the objects, object monitoring system 130 mayuse any of a variety of techniques. For example, each object 110 couldbe equipped with a radio frequency identification (RFID) transponder andread with one or more RFID readers. In operation, the transponders couldbe interrogated on a periodic, aperiodic, event-driven, or otherappropriate basis. The initial set of RFID transponders may beidentified by a set of identifiers (IDs) {ItemID₀, ItemID₁, . . . ,ItemID_(n)}_(t=0). Later readings of the RFID transponders {ItemID₀,ItemID₁, . . . , ItemID_(n)}_(t>0) may be compared to the initialreading to determine whether any transponders are missing. If alltransponders respond, the items are assumed to still be present. If,however, a transponder does not respond, which most likely indicatesthat the object is missing, an alert may be raised.

As another example, object monitoring system 130 may be able to image(e.g., digitally photograph) objects 110. To accomplish this, objectmonitoring system 130 may include an imaging device, which may include aphotocell, a bolometer, a photosensor, a charge-coupled device, or anyother appropriate radiation sensing apparatus. Note that the imagingdevice need not operate in the visible light band. For example, it mayoperate in the infrared (IR) band.

In operation, the images may be taken on a periodic, aperiodic,event-driven, or other appropriate basis. If an object does not appearin an image, which most likely indicates that the object is missing, analert may be raised. The images may be compared by using any appropriatepattern matching technique.

In certain implementations, the status of the objects may also includethe order of the objects. The order may be determined using tagging,imaging, or any other appropriate technique. If the object order hasunexpectedly changed, an alert may be generated.

To monitor one or more states of an object, object monitoring system 130may include any appropriate environmental sensor. For example, objectmonitoring system 130 may include a temperature sensor, such as, forexample, a resistive temperature device or a thermocouple. Otherenvironmental conditions that may be monitored include illumination,sound, vibration, orientation, movement, location, and radiation. Forillumination, a photocell, a bolometer, a photosensor, a charge-coupleddevice, or any other appropriate light sensing device may be used. Forsound, a microphone or any other appropriate sound sensing device may beused. For vibration, orientation, and/or movement, an accelerometer, agyroscope, or any other appropriate motion sensing device may be used.For location, a GPS receiver, a base station monitor, a bar codescanner, or any other appropriate position sensing device may be used.For radiation, a bolometer, a Geiger counter, a Scintillometer, or anyother appropriate radiation sensing device may be used. Theenvironmental conditions around an object, which affect the state of theobject because they define the environment that interacts with theobject, may be monitored by sensors coupled to the object and/or in thevicinity of the object.

As another example of monitoring a state of an object, objectingmonitoring system 130 may be able to monitor a property of an object.For instance, by using imaging, the system may determine whether astructural deformation has occurred. Additionally, sensors may detectinternal properties (e.g., temperature, pressure, density, or viscosity)of an object.

The object(s) and the object state(s) to be monitored may be defined atthe object monitoring system or a remote device. The object(s) and thestate(s) to be monitored, in effect, define a seal for the object(s). Ingeneral, a seal may be one or more conditions that are monitored. Theconditions may be expressed as rules. Once defined, object monitoringsystem 130 may autonomously monitor the object(s). If an object statusindicator is within bounds, the seal is valid, but if an object statusindicator is out of bounds, the seal is broken. For the latter, an alertmay be generated. Object status data may be obtained from objectmonitoring system 130 upon request, at predetermined times, or upon theoccurrence of a predetermined event. Data may be sent to and/or receivedfrom the object monitoring system by wireline or wireless techniques.

System 100 has a variety of features. For example, by allowing thedefinition of a group of objects that are to remain together andmonitoring their presence, the system can be used to prove that allobjects of a unit have remained together, and, hence, the integrity ofthe unit, as well as to prove the authenticity of one or more objects.The ability to validate the authenticity of the objects may be used bytransporters to prove that the appropriate objects have been delivered.As another example, by allowing the definition of allowable states forthe objects and monitoring the states, the system can be used tovalidate the integrity of the objects. Being able to validate theintegrity of the objects may be used by transporters to prove that theappropriate objects have been delivered in an appropriate condition.Additionally, being able to validate the authenticity and/or theintegrity of the unit and/or the objects may be used by shippers toprove compliance with contractual requirements.

System 100 may have applicability in a variety of situations. Forexample, system 100 may be used in storehouses, supply-chain management,office document management, and office document production. Also, system100 may be useful in non-transportation situations (e.g., storage).

In certain implementations, a variety of integrity types may be used.Examples different types of integrity include conditional integrity,relational integrity, authorization integrity, and environmentalintegrity. Conditional integrity is upheld when an object's physicalproperties remain unaltered or undamaged. In this case, full access to asealed object may be allowed, in that the object may be used, but it isforbidden to change the properties of the object. Relational integrityis similar to conditional integrity, but considers the orientation andrelation of constituent objects. Relational integrity is violated whensomeone adds or removes something from a sealed object collective. Also,an object may include several constituent components, like, for example,a palette of goods includes several goods. Authorization integrity issimilar to classic wax-seal integrity, in which no unauthorized party isallowed visual or tangible access to a sealed object. Integrity isbroken if someone is able to observe a defined state (e.g., internalinformation), or even the outline of the object. Beyond the “open thecontainer and look” integrity violation, modern forms of spying includex-ray scans and methods to get access to internal information (e.g.,stored programs and data) of an object. Environmental integrity isviolated if the environmental conditions surrounding an object areunfavorable (e.g., the object is brought into a place where it shouldnot be, or the environment external to the object is not in a tolerablerange for the object). These classes of integrity may often have to beaddressed in tandem. For example, a policy could exist that includesaccess restriction (i.e., Authorization Integrity) and that the object'sstructural properties must not be changed (i.e., Conditional Integrity).Other integrity scenarios could also be defined.

Although FIG. 1 illustrates a system for object management, otherimplementations may include fewer, additional, and/or a differentarrangement of components. For example, a system for object managementmay manage any number of objects. As another example, a system forobject management may have the object monitoring system mounted at anyappropriate location (e.g., in the proximity of, on, or in an object)for sensing object status. As an additional example, a system for objectmanagement may not include a container. The objects may, for instance,be bound together, or even have no coupling therebetween. As a furtherexample, a system for object management may include more than one objectmonitoring system. This may provide redundancy in case one of themonitoring systems fails and/or additional security.

FIG. 2 illustrates an object monitoring system 200. Object monitoringsystem 200 is one example of object monitoring system 130 in FIG. 1.

Object monitoring system 200 includes an object detection sensor system210, an object state sensor system 220, a computer 230, and a wirelesscommunication device 240. Object detection sensor system 210 senses thepresence of an object, and object state sensor system 220 senses thestate of an object. The detections of the object detection sensor systemand the object state sensor system are relayed to computer 230, whichdetermines the quantity of objects present and the object state.Computer 230 also compares the quantity and state against an allowablequantity and state. If an unexpected quantity or state is present, thecomputer generates an alert. Wireless communication device 240 iscoupled to computer 230 and receives and sends data for computer 230.The sent data may include the alert.

In more detail, objection detection sensor system 210 may be anyappropriate device for sensing the presence of an object. For example,object monitoring system 200 may use RFID or imaging techniques to sensethe presence of an object.

Similarly, object state sensor system 220 may be any appropriate devicefor sensing a state of an object. For example, object state sensorsystem 220 may sense temperature, vibration, movement, and/ororientation of an object and/or an object environment.

Computer 230 includes memory 232 and a processor 238. Memory 232 mayinclude flip-flops, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM),compact-disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), registers, and/or any otherappropriate device for storing information. Memory 232 includesinstructions 233, data 234, and rules 235. Instructions 233 are logicalprocedures that dictate the operation of processor 238. Instructions 233may, for example, include an operating system and an applicationprogram. Data 234 includes information regarding object status, andrules 234 are logical expressions of the allowable status of objects. Arule, for example, may express an allowable temperature range for anobject environment (e.g., 20° C.≦T≦40° C.). Processor 238 may be areduced instruction set computer (RISC), a complex instruction setcomputer (CISC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or any otherappropriate device for manipulating information in a logical manner.

Wireless communication device 240 may be any appropriate device forwirelessly sending and receiving information. Wireless communicationdevice 240 may, for example, operate in the radio frequency (RF) regimeand be a wireless interface card for a local area network (e.g., IEEE802.11 or Bluetooth™). As another example, wireless communication device240 may be a wireless modem for a wide area network (e.g., a cellularnetwork using IS-95 or IS-136). Wireless communication device 240 mayalso operate in other electromagnetic frequency regimes (e.g., IR).

In one mode of operation, computer 230 receives data through wirelesscommunication device 240 regarding a set of objects to monitor. Theinformation may include the number of objects to be monitored, theobject state(s) to be monitored, and/or any other appropriateinformation. The number of objects and the object state(s) to bemonitored are expressed as rules 235.

Once computer 230 understands the appropriate status of the objects tobe monitored, system 200 begins monitoring the objects using objectdetection sensor system 210 and object state sensor system 220. Objectdetection sensor system 210 and object state sensor system 220 mayperform their detections continuously, periodically, when commanded bycomputer 230, or at any other appropriate time. Object detection sensorsystem 210 and object state sensor system 220 are not required toperform their detections at the same time.

When object detection sensor system 210 performs a detection, the sensorsystem generates a signal representing the detection, and the signal isreceived by computer 230. The signal may be conditioned (e.g.,amplified, filtered, and digitized) by object detection sensor system210, computer 230, or an intermediate device. When computer 230determines that it has received the signal, processor 238, operatingunder the direction of instructions 233, determines the number of sensedobjects. The number of sensed objects is stored as data 234, along witha time indication. Processor 238 also checks the number of sensedobjects against the allowable number of objects expressed in rules 235.If the number of sensed objects is appropriate, the processor waits foranother detection. If, however, the number of sensed objects is notappropriate, the processor generates an alert. The alert is stored asdata 234. The number of sensed objects and any alerts may be retrievedfrom data 234 through wireless communication device 240.

When object state sensor system 220 performs a detection, the sensorsystem generates a signal representing the detection, and the signal isreceived by computer 230. The signal may be conditioned (e.g.,amplified, filtered, and digitized) by object state sensor system 220,computer 230, or an intermediate device. When computer 230 determinesthat it has received the signal, processor 238, operating under thedirection of instructions 233, determines the sensed object state. Thesensed object state is stored as data 234, along with a time indication.Processor 238 also checks the sensed object state against the allowableobject state(s) expressed in rules 235. If the sensed object state isappropriate, the processor waits for another detection. If, however, thesensed object state is not appropriate, the processor generates analert. The alert is also stored as data 234. The sensed object state andany alerts may be retrieved from data 234 through wireless communicationdevice 240.

System 200 may monitor objects (e.g., sensing objects and object states,determining and recording the number of sensed objects and the objectstates, and checking rules) for any appropriate period. For example,system 200 may continue monitoring for a predetermined length of time,until a predetermined event occurs (e.g., first generated alert), oruntil receiving a command to stop monitoring, possibly through wirelesscommunication device 240.

In certain implementations, system 200 may communicate using encryptiontechniques. Encryption allows data of the object monitoring system toremain confidential. Encryption may also allow system 200 toauthenticate systems attempting to communicate with it and system 200 tobe authenticated by other systems. Being able to authenticate system 200may further authenticate the monitored objects.

Because computer 230 most likely contains the most sensitive data, itmay be the most valuable target to attack. In certain implementations,computer 230 may be strengthened against invasive or non-invasivemethods gaining knowledge of the computer's internal states. Also, thecomputer may hold states that cannot be reproduced once lost. Suchstates may include the object monitoring system's state and theintegrity of the computer itself. The states may be wiped out as soon asa seal breach or attack is detected. Thus, the seal cannot bereestablished. Two processors that may facilitate achieving these goalsare the DS5002FP from Dallas Semiconductor and a processor based on theIBM 4758 architecture. Both support countermeasures against non-invasiveattacks and provide protection against invasive attacks using physicalshielding. In particular implementations, the software layers may alsobe protected.

For the wireless communication device, security may be provided byhigher level protocols. Also, a destruction of the communication deviceor a denial-of-service attack, which may prevent a receiver from readingthe seal state, could be viewed as the monitoring system being absent.

The sensors may also face attacks, including manipulating of sensorvalues during their transport to the computer and sensor cheating. Inthe latter case, the attacker tries to maintain the valid sensorconditions during the attack through creating the environment in whichthe sensor is situated. In order to combat attacks to the data transportfrom sensors 210, 220 to computer 230, the transport may be protected byphysical protection such as shielding of the cables and the sensoritself or by the user of cryptographic protocols for the datatransmission. An example of the latter is the Next Generation SecureComputing Base enabled computer. To combat sensor cheating, the computermay regularly check the sensors' status. This may require the sensors torecord their own operation condition using further internal sensors.This sensor-watches-sensor scenario may be replaced by aseal-watches-sensor scenario in which an object monitoring system can besupported by neighboring devices in order to verify its own reading. Thephysical arrangement of the goods to be sealed may also protect thesensors. These considerations may need to be made before initializingthe seal, because they may depend on the type of goods to seal and theexpected attacks.

Object monitoring system 200 may have a variety of features. Forexample, it may be mobile. For instance, it may be small and operatewithout external connections (e.g., power and communication). As anotherexample, object monitoring system may be versatile. Because goods havedifferent physical properties, like size, shape, and weight, andexperience different environmental conditions, different objects mayhave a different object status that needs to be monitored. Objectmonitoring system 200 may provide a flexible platform to realize a sealfor various objects and environments. As an additional example, becauseobjects can move through various locations and environments, externalsupport cannot be guaranteed in all instances. Object monitoring system200 may, however, be able to operate autonomously for extended periodsof time.

Although FIG. 2 illustrates an object monitoring system, otherimplementations may include fewer, additional, and/or a differentarrangement of components. For example, an object monitoring system mayinclude an input device (e.g., button, keypad, or keyboard) and adisplay device (e.g., LCD). These may be used to input information(e.g., rules and commands) into the system and to view information(e.g., rules, data, instructions, and operating status) in the system.As another example, an object monitoring system may not include awireless communication device. Such a system may be programmed directlyat the system and also provide information thereat. Wireline techniquescould also be used. As an additional example, an object monitoringsystem may include multiple object detection sensor systems and/ormultiple object state sensor systems. As a further example, the rulesmay be part of the instructions. Moreover, at least some of theinstructions may be encoded on the processor.

FIG. 3 illustrates a process 300 for object management. Process 300 maydescribe the operations of an object monitoring system similar to objectmonitoring system 200 of FIG. 2.

Process 300 begins with determining whether objects should be sensed(operation 304). Objects should be sensed, for example, if apredetermined period of time has expired. If objects should be sensed,the process calls for performing an object detection (operation 308). Anobject detection may, for example, be performed using an RFID reader ora camera. The process continues with generating a signal representingthe sensed objects, if any (operation 312). The signal may, for example,be sent to a computer for analysis. The process also calls fordetermining the quantity of sensed objects (operation 316). The quantitymay, for example, be determined by calculating the number of uniqueresponses received to a request.

The process continues with determining whether an appropriate number ofobjects is present (operation 320). Determining whether an appropriatenumber of objects is present may, for example, be accomplished bydetermining whether the number of sensed objects corresponds to anexpected number of objects. The expected number of objects may, forinstance, be expressed in a rule. If an appropriate number of objects isnot present, the process calls for generating an alert (operation 324).The alert may be recorded as an appropriate indicator in a memory and/orwirelessly transmitted.

After generating the alert, or if the appropriate number of objects ispresent, or if objects should not be sensed, the process calls fordetermining whether an object state should be sensed (operation 328). Anobject state should be sensed, for example, if a predetermined period oftime has expired. If an object state should be sensed, the process callsfor performing an object state detection (operation 332). An objectstate may, for example, be sensed by a temperature sensor. The processalso calls for generating a signal representing the sensed object state(operation 336 ). The signal may, for example, be sent to a computer foranalysis. The process additionally calls for determining the objectstate (operation 340). The object state may, for example, be determinedby evaluating a formula or a table based on the signal representing theobject state.

The process continues with determining whether the object state isappropriate (operation 344). Determining whether the object state isappropriate may, for example, be accomplished by determining whether theobject state is within the tolerance of an expected object state. Theappropriate object state may, for example, be expressed in a rule. Ifthe object state is not appropriate, the process calls for generating analert (operation 348). The alert may be recorded as an appropriateindicator in a memory and/or wirelessly transmitted.

After recording the alert, or if the object state is appropriate, or ifan object state should not be sensed, the process calls for determiningwhether a message regarding an allowable object state has been received(operation 352). The allowable object state may, for example, beexpressed as a rule. If a message regarding an allowable object statehas been received, the process calls for storing the allowable objectstate (operation 356).

The process also calls for determining whether object monitoring shouldcontinue (operation 360). Monitoring may, for example, be discontinuedif a predetermined period of time has expired, a predetermined event hasoccurred, or an appropriate command has been received. If monitoringshould continue, the process calls for returning to determine whetherobjects should be sensed (operation 304). The process may cycle throughoperation 304, operation 328, operation 352, and operation 360 anynumber of times.

Although FIG. 3 illustrates one implementation of a process for objectmanagement, other implementations may include fewer, additional, and/ora different arrangement of operations. For example, a process mayinvolve determining the appropriate number of objects. This mayaccomplished by performing an initial object detection, determining thenumber of objects present, and using this number as the appropriatenumber. Additionally, this may be accomplished by receiving anindication of the appropriate number of objects. The appropriate objectstate(s) may be determined similarly. As another example, a wirelessmessage representing an alert may be generated. As a further example,the allowable object state(s) may not be updated. As an additionalexample, performing the object detection and the object state detectionmay be performed in any order, or even simultaneously. As anotherexample, an object detection and/or an object state detection may beperformed without determining whether they should be performed.

FIG. 4 illustrates a process 400 for object management. Process 400 maydescribe the operations of an object monitoring system similar to objectmonitoring system 200 of FIG. 2. Additionally, process 400 may be usedin conjunction with process 300 of FIG. 3.

Process 400 begins with determining whether a request for object statushas been received (operation 404). If an object status request has beenreceived, the process calls for determining whether at least one objectis sensed (operation 408). If an object is not sensed, the process callsfor generating a message indicating that an object was not sensed(operation 412). An object may not be sensed, for example, if a query isissued and no response is received. The process then calls for waitingfor another object status request (operation 404). If, however, anobject is sensed, the process calls for generating a signal representingthe sensed object(s) (operation 416) and determining the quantity of thesensed objects (operation 420).

The process continues with determining whether a state of at least oneobject is sensed (operation 424). If an object state is not sensed, theprocess calls for generating a message indicating the quantity of thesensed objects (operation 428). The process then calls for waiting foranother object status request (operation 404). If, however, an objectstate is sensed, the process continues with generating a signalrepresenting the object state(s) (operation 432) and determining thesensed object state(s) (operation 436). The process also calls forgenerating a message indicating the quantity of the sensed objects andthe sensed object state(s) (operation 440). The process then calls forwaiting for another object status request (operation 404).

Although FIG. 4 illustrates one implementation of a process for objectmanagement, other implementations may include fewer, additional, and/ora different arrangement of operations. For example, a process for objectmanagement may not include waiting for an object status request. Objectstatus may, for instance, be provided at a predetermined time or uponthe occurrence of a predetermined event. Also, determining object statusmay be performed according to a different procedure than reportingobject status. For instance, object status may be determined on a firstinterval, but reported on a second, typically longer, interval. Asanother example, a process for object management may include generatinga message indicating that an object state is not sensed if an objectstate is not sensed. As a further example, a process for objectmanagement may include generating a message representing the signals. Asan additional example, a process for object management may not includedetermining whether an object has been sensed before generating a signalrepresenting the sensed object(s). This may, for example, occur ifimaging techniques are used. As a further example, a process for objectmanagement may include sensing an object state even if no objects arepresent. This may be useful, for example, if environmental conditionsare being monitored.

FIG. 5 illustrates an object management system 500 for an object 510.Object management system 500 includes an object monitoring system 520,an object sender 530, an object receiver 540, and a checkpoint 550.Object 510 may be any appropriate object.

Object monitoring system 520 may be any appropriate apparatus formonitoring the presence and at least one state of object 510. Forexample, object monitoring system 520 may be similar to objectmonitoring system 200.

Object sender 530, object receiver 540, and checkpoint 550 may, forexample, be personal computers. Communication between object monitoringsystem 520 and the object sender, the object receiver, and thecheckpoint may be accomplished by an Xbridge device, which may act awireless gateway between the object monitoring system and the Internet,to which the object sender, the object receiver, and the checkpoint maybe coupled.

A variety of protocols may be used for initiating and verifying theauthenticity of object monitoring system 520. For authenticity, objectreceiver 540 may want to know that object 510 was really sent fromobject sender 530 and that the object is a genuine article, includingthat the object data also conforms to these properties. Threats mayinclude a false object sender sending an object bearing the real objectsender's identity (source masquerading), the object or its associateddata being replaced in transit by a falsified object or falsified data(replay attack), and a false object monitoring system sending out objectstatus data to the object sender and/or object receiver. For integrity,the object sender and the object receiver may want to know that theobject, as well as its associated data, is not tampered with while intransit and that the correct handling policies were upheld. Threats mayinclude that the object was tampered with while left unattended or by anauthorized third party, thereby degrading quality of the object, andthat the object was subjected to transit conditions that violated itshandling policy.

Other threats may include denial-of-service attacks throughcommunication signal interference or continuous depletion of powerresources. Also, for highly sensitive data on the seal, confidentialitybecomes another protection goal. The communication protocol and powermanagement features of the object monitoring system may address thedenial-of-service attacks, while confidentiality may be captured withinthe properties of crypto protocols and physical handling policies.

Table 1 illustrates a set of security functions and elements that may beused to address at least some of these concerns. The protocol based onthese functions and elements allows protection goals to be capturedbetween interacting entities. Using these functions and elements, a sealmay be established, monitored, and authenticated.

TABLE 1 Variable Definition K_(X) Public key of an entity X M: Query andstatus messages n, q Initial random sequence number, and sequencecounter P: Handling policy D_(X){ }: Decryption with private key ofentity X E_(X){ }: Encryption with public key of entity X H{ }: Hashfunction S_(X){ }: Signing with private key of entity X V_(X){ }:Verification of signature with public key of entity X

For example, object receiver 540 may send an order request message(M_(n)) with which object sender 530 can initialize a seal session. Toavoid replay attacks at this stage, a signed hash of M_(n), a randomnumber (n) (used as a sequence number), and a public key of objectreceiver 540 (K₅₄₀) are also sent to object sender 530. These areencrypted with the public key of object sender 530:E₅₃₀{M_(n), S₅₄₀{H{M_(n)}}, n, K₅₄₀}  (1).Upon reception, object sender 530 decrypts the message using its privatekey:D₅₃₀{E₅₃₀{M_(n), S₅₄₀{H{M_(n)}}, n, K₅₄₀}  (2).Object sender 530 then verifies the sender of the order request usingthe public key of object receiver 540:V₅₄₀{S₅₄₀{H{M_(n)}}}  (3).

Object sender 530 starts the initialization process by defining ahandling policy (P), which is a listing of context parameters, defininga statement of expected state on delivery (M_(n+1)), and generating akey pair for the seal. The handling policy is encrypted with the privatekey of the seal to avoid electronic tampering. The seal is theninitialized with its private key (in protected memory), the handlingpolicy, the public key of object receiver 540 (for communicating statusupdates to object receiver 540 with end-to-end authentication), and theexpected state on delivery, which is hashed and signed by the privatekey of object sender 530:{P, n, S₅₃₀{H{M_(n+1)}}, K₅₄₀, M_(n+1)}  (4).Object sender 530 then responds to object receiver 540 by sending astatus response that includes the public key of the seal to objectreceiver 540.

Applying the seal to the item triggers the sensors of object monitoringsystem 520 to perform the first check in order to have an initial sealstate (M_(N+2)). This also triggers a process of encryption and signingof the initialization information and the initial sealed state,respectively:E₅₂₀{P, n, S₅₃₀{H{M_(n+1)}}}, E₅₄₀{M_(n+1)}, S₅₂₀{H{M_(n+2)}},M_(n+2)  (5).The seal can be opened by parties that can respond to a challenge by theobject monitoring system, such as object sender 530 and object receiver540, as their public keys are known by object monitoring system 520.

A status query may be similar to an order. However, object receiver 540may directly contact object monitoring system 520, having received itspublic key. Additionally, object receiver 540 may use checkpoint 550. Incertain implementations, checkpoint 550 is an intermediary actor thatforwards object and/or object monitoring system status to object sender530 or object receiver 540 upon request. E₅₃₀ would, therefore, bereplaced with E₅₂₀, an operation on the object monitoring system itself,in (1), (2), and (3).

Queries of the object status may be performed. Following an authorizedparty query or an internally scheduled query, object monitoring system520 does a poll of its sensors and compares the results with thepreferred context parameters specified in the handling policy (P).Object monitoring system 520 then updates the last status (M_(n)) withthe current status (M_(n+q)), where q is equal to the sequence number ofthe query.

There may be various context states that describe the seal. These may bespecified in M_(n+q). In one implementation, there are three states: 1)valid; 2) degraded; and 3) broken. Valid indicates that the currentcontext matches the handling policy and, thus, that the seal is intact.Degraded indicates that the current context does not fully meet thehandling policy, but is within an acceptable bound. For instance, theseal is intact, but there has been a possible tampering attempt (e.g.,the objects are not being handled by an authorized party). Brokenindicates that the current context does not meeting the handling policy.

When the seal is broken, relevant information may be wiped from memoryof object monitoring system 520. When this information is not present,object receiver 540 knows that the seal around the goods has beenbroken.

Object monitoring system 520 can also record the current handling partyand label them as authorized or unauthorized (e.g., unknown orblack-marked). A higher-level notification is given when the sealed itemis being handled by an unauthorized party.

There are typically two types of status operations that send a statusresponse to an authorized party. The first is a response to theauthorized party following a status query. It is authenticated with asignature of the seal (S₅₂₀). Additionally, depending on the policy, thestatus may be encrypted with the public key of the authorized partybefore forwarding. This is similar to forwarding the result of thecrypto procedure in (5), where q=2:E₅₄₀{S₅₂₀{H{M_(n+q)}}, M_(n+q)}  (6);V₅₅₀{E₅₄₀{S₅₂₀{H{M_(n+q)}}, M_(n+q)}}  (7);D₅₄₀{S₅₂₀{H{_(Mn+q)}}  (8); andV₅₄₀{H{M_(n+q)}}  (9).

The second status response is when the object is physically delivered.The current handling party is set to “authorized” if object receiver 540provides its public key (K₅₄₀) (i.e., it responds to the objectmonitoring system's challenge). If the handling party is set to“authorized,” object receiver 540 may then determine whether the seal isstill valid. If the seal is not valid, the object receiver may query theobject monitoring system for the reason for seal breach (e.g., breachdue to predetermined condition violation or breach to due attack). Inthe case of severe attacks on the object monitoring system, however,information might be lost. Without K₅₄₀, however, operation (8) is notpossible. If operation (8) is not possible, a notification is issued byobject monitoring system 520.

Other implementations, however, do not have to use a public key/privatekey approach. For example, the seal challenge may be based on asymmetric key approach. This may entail an earlier exchange of theobject monitoring system's secret key with object sender 530 and objectreceiver 530, over a secure channel.

The seal created by object sender 530 for the object 510 may be viewedas a contract (or in some cases, a condition of a contract) betweenobject sender 530 and object receiver 540. That is, the seal states theterms and conditions under which the authenticity and integrity ofobject can be asserted. System 500 also provides logic for determiningand presenting the “protection state” of the object.

FIG. 6 illustrates another implementation of an object monitoring system600. Object monitoring system 600 is particularly adapted for monitoringphysical documents, another type of object that may be managed. Asillustrated, object monitoring system 600 includes a document couplingdevice 610, a page count sensor 620, an environment sensor 630, acomputer 640, a wireless communication device 650, and a display device660.

Document coupling device 610 is operable to physically couple objectmonitoring system 600 to a physical version of a document. Documentcoupling device 610 may, for example, be a staple, a paper clip, or abinder clip. Implementing the document coupling device as a documentbinding apparatus has the advantage of incorporating document managementfunctionality into an apparatus that is already in common use withdocuments. Thus, users are not burdened with additional interactionswith the document.

Page count sensor 620 is operable to sense the number of pages in adocument. The pages may be viewed as separate objects to be monitored,and/or or the document may be viewed as an object to be monitored. Oneexample of page count sensor 620 is a capacitive device that uses thepages of the document as the dielectric. Thus, the more pages a documentcontains the lower the capacitance will be and the higher the voltageacross the capacitor will be. Various electrical properties, such as,for example, voltage, charge, or current, may be measured to determinethe capacitance and, hence, number of pages. An implementation of acapacitive device will be discussed in more detail below. Anotherexample of page count sensor 620 is a light transmission/receptionsystem. In such a system, a light (e.g., from an LED) is transmittedthrough the pages of a document. Based on the strength of the lightafter it has traversed the document, a determination may be made of thenumber of pages of the document. Page count sensor 620 generates asignal representative of the number of pages sensed.

Environment sensor 630 may be any appropriate sensor for sensing acondition in, on, or in the vicinity of a document, conditions in thevicinity of the document being part of the document's environmentalstate. Examples of an environment sensor include a temperature sensor(e.g., resistive temperature device or thermocouple), an illuminationsensor, (e.g., bolometer or charge-coupled device), a noise sensor(e.g., a microphone), and a movement sensor (e.g., accelerometer).Environment sensor 630 generates a signal representative of theenvironment condition sensed.

Computer 640 is coupled to page count sensor 620 and environment sensor630, and includes memory 642 and a processor 646. Memory 642 may includeflip-flops, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM),compact-disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), and/or any other appropriatedevice for storing information. Memory 642 includes instructions 644,according to which processor 646 operates. Processor 646 may be acomplex instruction set computer (CISC), a reduced instruction setcomputer (RISC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or any otherappropriate device for manipulating information in a logical manner. Inparticular implementations, computer 640 may be based on the Smart-ItsParticle platform from Telecooperation Office (TecO) at the Universityof Karlsruhe, Germany. This platform may also provide functionality suchas sensing, computing, and wireless communication. In certainimplementations, computer 640 may be a PC-based platform.

Wireless communication device 650 is coupled to computer 640 towirelessly send data from and to wirelessly receive data for computer640. Wireless communication device 650 may include a wirelesstransmitter, a wireless receiver, a wireless transceiver, and/or anyother appropriate device for wireless sending and/or receivinginformation. Wireless communication device 650 may operate in anyappropriate electromagnetic regime (e.g., RF or IR) and according to anyappropriate protocol (e.g., IEEE 802.11, Bluetooth™, cellular, or IrDA).In particular implementations, wireless communication device 650 maysense the location of a document by detecting a wireless communicationobject (e.g., a gateway). In other implementations, wirelesscommunication device 650 may sense the location of a document byreceiving a location signal generated by another system component (e.g.,a document tracking device). A document tracking device may, forexample, be a computer that stores the status of a physical document ascommunicated by object monitoring system 600. A document tracking devicemay also store a non-physical (e.g., electronic) version of the physicaldocument (e.g., a file server).

Display device 660 is also coupled to computer 640. Display device 660is operable to provide a visual indication of the status of objectmonitoring system 600 and/or the monitored document. Display device 660may include light emitting diodes (LEDs), a liquid crystal display(LCD), a cathode ray tube (CRT) display, and/or any other appropriatedevice for providing visual information.

The active components of document monitoring device 600 may be poweredby any appropriate power source. In certain implementations, a AAA-sizebattery may be used. Such a power source may provide operability forapproximately one year if physical triggers, such as, for example,document movement, are used for measuring and communicating.

In one mode of operation, the operations of object monitoring system 600are initiated by instructions received through wireless communicationdevice 640. The instructions may inform the object monitoring system ofwhen to begin and end operations (e.g., a time period), the parametersof the monitored document (e.g., page type), the allowable state(s) ofthe monitored document, and the state data to be communicated to adocument tracking device.

After being coupled to the document to be monitored (e.g., after adocument is printed), object monitoring system 600 begins monitoring thedocument using page count sensor 620 and environment sensor 630. Thesensors may make their measurements on a periodic, aperiodic,event-driven basis, or other appropriate basis.

When sensors 620, 630 perform a measurement, they generate a signalrepresentative thereof. Computer 640 receives the signals representingthe measurements from the sensors and determines the sensed status.Computer 640 sends representations of the determined status to wirelesscommunication device 650, for conveyance to the document trackingdevice. Computer 640 also determines whether a status is allowable. Forexample, the computer may determine that the document being monitoreddoes not have the appropriate number of pages or that an environmentalcondition (e.g., illumination) is out of bounds. Illumination, forexample, may be out of bounds if the document is placed in a bag orbriefcase.

If the status is not allowable, the computer generates an indicationthat is presented by display device 660. The indication may be theactivation of a light, the display of a text message, the display of agraphic symbol, or any other appropriate indicator. Computer 640 alsosends a signal indicating that an unallowable status has occurred towireless communication device 650, for conveyance to the documenttracking device.

Object monitoring system 600 may continue to monitor a document for anyappropriate period of time. For example, the object monitoring systemmay monitor the document until an unallowable status is encountered oruntil a designated period of time has expired. The end of the monitoringmay be specified in the instructions received though wirelesscommunication device 650.

In other modes of operation, the object monitoring system 600 may alsoreceive document meta-data (e.g., author, title, creation date, revisionhistory, theme, and/or keywords) from the document tracking device.Computer 640 may store the data in memory 642 and provide the data ondisplay device 650. Additionally, object monitoring system 600 may alsoreceive state data for a non-physical version of the document from thedocument tracking device. The computer may use the state data of thenon-physical version to validate the physical version of the document.For example, if the state data of the non-physical version indicatesthat it has been edited recently, computer 640 may determine that thephysical version is no longer valid.

Although FIG. 6 illustrates one example of an object monitoring system,other implementations may include fewer, additional, and/or a differentarrangement of components. For example, some implementations may notinclude a page count sensor and/or an environmental sensor. As anadditional example, some implementations may include a computer for eachof the sensors. As a further example, some implementations may notinclude a display device. As another example, some or all of theinstructions may be encoded on the processor.

In particular implementations, the page count sensor may include thedocument coupling device. For example, if the document coupling deviceis a binder clip, the page count sensor may use the sides of the bindclip as capacitive plates. The pages of the physical document to bemonitored would then act as the dielectric. A voltage on the plate maythen be measured to determine the number of pages in the physicaldocument.

In certain implementations, an object monitoring system may include auser input device (e.g., a button, a keypad, or a touchpad). Byactivating the input device, a user could indicate one or more of avariety of procedures. For example, activation could indicate a requestfor document data, from the object monitoring system and/or a documenttracking device. As another example, activation could indicate that anevent has occurred for the physical version of a document. Theactivation may be correlated with other data regarding the document tocomplete and/or determine a procedure.

As one example, activating the input device could be used fornotification and confirmation in a document signature process.Typically, such processes involve a number of people signing a document.By activating the input device, each signatory may indicate that aparticular signature has been performed for the monitored document.Furthermore, by tracking the location of the monitored document, thesignatory may be determined and/or confirmed.

As another example, the input device may be useful where rules for adocument may be altered in situations that can be better recognized by auser interacting with the physical document. For instance, activatingthe input device could establish the right to edit a non-physicalversion of a document. This could, for example, be applicable in thesituation where a first user is currently editing the non-physicalversion of the document, a second user has the physical document withthe object monitoring system attached and wants to edit the document,but the first user has imposed a restriction that locks the non-physicalversion. By activating the input device, the lock of the first user isreleased by demanding that the first user save and close the document orby a document management engine executing this automatically.

As a further example, activating the input device may establish a lockbefore the editing process. For instance, if a user has the physicaldocument with the attached object monitoring system and activates theinput device, no one can revoke the right to edit the non-physicalversion of the document, because the user has authorized the editing byproviding proof of being in possession of the physical version of thedocument.

FIGS. 7A-C illustrate an object monitoring system 700. Object monitoringsystem 700 is one example of object monitoring system 600.

As seen in FIG. 7A, object monitoring system 700 includes a binder clip710 and an electronic circuit 720. Binder clip 710 facilitates couplingof monitoring system 700 to a document 730. Binder clip 710 may or maynot serve as the principle binding for the document. Electronic circuit720 includes a sinusoidal voltage input 722, a resistor 724, andcapacitive plates 726. The capacitive plates are coupled to binder clip710 and also facilitate coupling of monitoring device 700 to thedocument. Capacitive plates 726 may act as a capacitor by themselves orwhen coupled to document 730.

FIG. 7B illustrates a circuit diagram 740 of electronic circuit 720. Ascan be seen, circuit 720 has sinusoidal voltage input 722, resistor 724,and capacitive plates 726. The capacitance between the plates may beexpressed as: $\begin{matrix}{{C = {ɛ_{0}*ɛ_{r}*\frac{A}{d}}},} & (10)\end{matrix}$where

-   -   ε_(o)=dielectric coefficient,    -   ε_(r)=relative dielectric coefficient (˜5.6 for paper),    -   A=the area of the plates, and    -   d=the distance between the plates.        Because the number of pages in document 730 affects the distance        and, hence, the capacitance, measuring the voltage across        capacitive plates 726 provides an indication of the number of        document pages. The relationship of the voltage across        capacitive plates 726 to voltage input 722 may be expressed as:        $\begin{matrix}        {V_{C} - {V_{IN}*{\frac{1}{\sqrt{{R^{2}*\omega^{2}*C^{2}} + 1}}.}}} & (11)        \end{matrix}$

FIG. 7C shows the voltage across capacitive plates for oneimplementation. In this implementation, the input voltage was 1.65 V,the frequency of the input voltage was 100 kHz, and the resistance ofthe resistor was 20 kΩ.

As can be seen, the voltage across the capacitive plates due to fewer oradditional pages in a document varies the most when a document containsonly a few pages. However, the voltage across the capacitive plates dueto fewer or additional pages does continue to change even for documentswith many tens of pages. Storing a representation of the curve mayassist in determining page count and/or in determining changes in pagecount. Note that the accuracy of the page count measurement may degradefor documents containing pages of varying thickness. Also, the objectmonitoring system may have to be adjustable, because paper weight mayvary from document to document.

A object monitoring system may also recognize other conditions with sucha document coupling device. For example, the object monitoring systemmay recognize that the clip is empty or that the clip is open.

A variety of implementations have been described in detail, and a numberof other implementations have been mentioned or suggested. Furthermore,a variety of additions, deletions, modifications, and substitutions tothese implementations may be made while still achieving objectmanagement. For these reasons, the scope of the invention is to bemeasured by the following claims, which may encompass one or more of theimplementations.

1. A system for object management, the system comprising: an objectmonitoring system comprising a computer operable to: determine whetherif the signal representing the presence of at least one object to bemonitored has been received; if a signal representing a presence of atleast one object to be monitored has been received, determine whether apredetermined quantity of objects is present; determine whether if thesignal representing the state of at least one object to be monitored hasbeen received; and if a signal representing a state of at least oneobject to be monitored has been received, determine whether at least oneobject has a predetermined state.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein theobject monitoring system further comprises an object coupling device. 3.The system of claim 1, wherein the object monitoring system furthercomprises: a first sensor system, the first sensor system operable tosense the presence of at least one object to be monitored and togenerate a signal representative thereof; and a second sensor system,the second sensor system operable to sense the state of at least oneobject to be monitored and to generate a signal representative thereof.4. The system of claim 3, wherein the first sensor system comprises aplurality of radio frequency identification transponders and a radiofrequency identification reader.
 5. The system of claim 3, wherein thefirst sensor system comprises an imaging device.
 6. The system of claim3, wherein the second sensor system comprises a sensor operable todetect an environmental condition in a vicinity of at least one object.7. The system of claim 6, wherein the environmental condition comprisestemperature.
 8. The system of claim 3, wherein the second sensor systemcomprises a location sensor.
 9. The system of claim 3, wherein thecomputer is further operable to determine the predetermined quantity ofobjects and the predetermined object state based on signals from thefirst and second sensor systems.
 10. The system of claim 1, wherein thecomputer is further operable to: determine whether a signal indicatingthe predetermined object state has been received; and if the signal hasbeen received, determine the predetermined object state based on thesignal.
 11. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer is furtheroperable to determine the relative positions of objects.
 12. The systemof claim 1, wherein the computer is further operable to determinewhether monitoring should continue.
 13. The system of claim 12, whereinthe computer stops monitoring if a predetermined period of time expires.14. The system of claim 1, wherein, the predetermined quantity ofobjects and the predetermined object state are expressed as rules. 15.The system of claim 1, further comprising a wireless communicationdevice coupled to the computer, the wireless communication deviceoperable to send data from and receive data for the computer.
 16. Thesystem of claim 15, wherein the computer authenticates a destinationbefore sending data thereto.
 17. The system of claim 15, wherein sentdata comprises the quantity of objects present and the at least objectstate.
 18. The system of claim 15, wherein received data comprises anallowable object state.
 19. The system of claim 15, wherein sent datacomprises an alert indicating that at least one monitored object doesnot have a predetermined status.
 20. The system of claim 15, furthercomprising a second object monitoring system, the second objectmonitoring system comprising: a sensor system operable to sense apresence of at least one object to be monitored and to generate a signalrepresentative thereof; a second computer coupled to the sensor system,the second computer operable to determine whether a predeterminedquantity of objects is present; and a second wireless communicationdevice coupled to the second computer, the second wireless communicationdevice operable to send data from and receive data for the secondcomputer.
 21. The system of claim 20, wherein: the received datacomprises an object status request; and the sent data comprises objectstatus.
 22. The system of claim 1, wherein the object monitoring systemis adapted to be located in the vicinity of an object to be monitored.23. A method for object management at an object monitoring system, themethod comprising: determining whether a signal representing a presenceof at least one object to be monitored has been received; determiningwhether a signal representing a state of at least one object to bemonitored has been received; if the signal representing the presence ofat least one object to be monitored has been received, determiningwhether a predetermined quantity of objects is present; and if thesignal representing the state of at least one object to be monitored hasbeen received, determining whether at least one object has apredetermined state.
 24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:sensing a presence of at least one object to be monitored; and sensing astate of at least one object to be monitored.
 25. The method of claim24, wherein sensing a presence of at least one object to be monitoredcomprises receiving a response from at least one radio frequencyidentification transponder.
 26. The method of claim 23, whereindetermining whether at least one object has a predetermined statecomprises determining relative positions of objects.
 27. The method ofclaim 23, wherein determining whether at least one object has apredetermined state comprises determining an environmental condition ina vicinity of at least one object.
 28. The method of claim 23, furthercomprising determining whether monitoring should continue.
 29. Themethod of claim 23, further comprising determining the predeterminedquantity of objects and the predetermined object state by sensing apresence of at least one object to be monitored and sensing a state ofat least one object to be monitored.
 30. The method of claim 23, furthercomprising wirelessly communicating data.
 31. The method of claim 30,further comprising authenticating a destination before sending datathereto.
 32. The method of claim 30, wherein sent data comprises thequantity of objects present and the state of at least one object. 33.The method of claim 30, wherein sent data comprises an alert indicatingthat at least one monitored object does not have a predetermined status.34. The method of claim 30, wherein received data comprises an allowableobject status.
 35. The method of claim 30, wherein received datacomprises an indication of a quantity of objects sensed by a secondobject monitoring system.
 36. The method of claim 35, wherein sent datacomprises an object status request.
 37. A system for object management,the system comprising: an object monitoring system comprising: a firstsensor system, the first sensor system operable to sense a presence ofat least one object to be monitored and to generate a signalrepresentative thereof, a second sensor system, the second sensor systemoperable to sense a state of at least one object to be monitored and togenerate a signal representative thereof, a computer coupled to thefirst sensor system and the second sensor system, the computer operableto: determine whether the signal representing the presence of at leastone object to be monitored has been received; if the signal representingthe presence of at least one object to be monitored has been received,determine whether a predetermined quantity of objects is present,wherein the predetermined quantity of objects is expressed a rule;determine whether the signal representing the state of at least oneobject to be monitored has been received; and if the signal representingthe state of at least one object to be monitored has been received,determine whether at least one object has a predetermined state, whereinthe predetermined object state is expressed as a rule, and a wirelesscommunication device coupled to the computer, the wireless communicationdevice operable to send data from and receive data for the computer. 38.The system of claim 37, wherein the object monitoring system furthercomprises an object coupling device.
 39. The system of claim 37, whereinthe second sensor system comprises a sensor operable to detect anenvironmental condition in the vicinity of at least one object.
 40. Thesystem of claim 37, wherein the computer is further operable todetermine the predetermined quantity of objects and the predeterminedobject state based on signals from the sensor systems.
 41. The system ofclaim 37, wherein the computer authenticates a destination beforesending data thereto.
 42. The system of claim 37, wherein received datacomprises the predetermined object state.
 43. The system of claim 37,wherein sent data comprises an alert indicating that at least onemonitored object does not have a predetermined status.
 44. The system ofclaim 37, further comprising a second object monitoring system, thesecond object monitoring system comprising: a third sensor system, thethird sensor system operable to sense a presence of at least one objectto be monitored and to generate a signal representative thereof; asecond computer, the second computer coupled to the third sensor system,the second computer operable to determine whether a predeterminedquantity of objects is present; and a second wireless communication, thesecond wireless communication device coupled to the second computer, thesecond wireless communication device operable to send data from andreceive data for the second computer.
 45. The system of claim 44,wherein: the received data comprises an object status request; and thesent data comprises object status.